Bucs Defense Struggles: A Season of Big Plays and Bigger Questions
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ absence from the playoffs this year has sparked plenty of discussions, with much of the focus landing on the defensive struggles under head coach Todd Bowles. The Bucs' defense, known for allowing too many explosive plays, has been a point of contention among fans who feel the defensive schemes are too complex, leading to confusion and costly mistakes on the field.
A Season Plagued by Defensive Lapses
The season kicked off with a rough start when the Bucs allowed a 50-yard touchdown to Atlanta’s Bijan Robinson right out of the gate. The issues snowballed from there. On Monday Night Football, Jahmyr Gibbs torched them with a 78-yard touchdown run, highlighting vulnerabilities in the defense.
After a bye week, the Bucs faced the Patriots, only to give up a 72-yard receiving touchdown and rushing touchdowns of 55 and 69 yards. The defensive woes continued against the Bills, with Tampa Bay surrendering 44 points, including long touchdown passes of 43 and 52 yards.
One of the more memorable blunders came against the Panthers, where a blitz backfired, allowing a 22-yard touchdown pass to Tetairoa McMillan just before halftime. This misstep turned a potential halftime lead into a deficit, contributing to a 23-20 loss.
Perhaps the most painful moment for Bucs fans was blowing a 14-point lead against the Falcons on Thursday Night Football. The defense faltered on crucial downs, failing to stop the Falcons on third-and-28 and fourth-and-14, costing them the game.
Todd Bowles Defends His Defensive Strategy
Critics have pointed to Bowles’ defensive schemes as overly complex, but Bowles himself disagrees. Speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine, he insisted that the defense was actually simplified last season.
“We probably did less this year than we’ve ever done,” Bowles stated. “Ironically, the plays we got beat on were bread and butter plays.”
Bowles addressed the criticism further, emphasizing that the defense isn’t as complicated as it seems. He also defended the decision to drop outside linebackers into coverage, a common practice in their 3-4 scheme. “Outside ‘backers have been dropping for the past 30-40 years,” Bowles noted, explaining that their coverage responsibilities are typically straightforward.
Despite Bowles’ assurances, the recurring big plays allowed suggest that either the scheme is too challenging for the players or the coaching staff is struggling to effectively communicate the strategies.
As the Bucs look to regroup, addressing these defensive lapses will be crucial. Whether it’s simplifying the playbook further or improving the execution, something needs to change for the Bucs to return to their winning ways.